Political Doublespeak , Contradictions & Consequences !

 BY R.K.MISRA

Politics is propelled by contradictions within and  spouting doublespeak without. It’s almost akin to the faith in medicine and prayer, an uneasy existence with a standby fall guy, be it doctor or God !

last Saturday former BJP chief minister Suresh Mehta, who subsequently quit the party,  had an interesting example to narrate. In  2018 Gujarat State Land development Corporation(GSLDC),a state government owned company, was rocked by a major scandal when Rs 56 lakhs in illegitimate cash was seized from its office. Its main task was to provide technical and financial help in agriculture and minor irrigation-related activities . In November the same year after a cabinet meeting, the then agriculture minister, R.C. Faldu announced the government decision to dissolve GSLDC but persist with  the schemes initiated by it, particularly in the tribal and the backward areas. Mehta showed media-persons RTI documents to prove that the schemes had all ceased but GSLDC still remained functional !

The week also witnessed the ripple effect of molehills acquiring ‘mountainous’ hues at the touch of a political wand. A demonstration of how Muslims pray at a private school in Ahmedabad on  the occasion of Eid - was blown into Hindu  students being forced to offer ‘ namaz’ with right wing activists storming the school next day , thrashing a teacher and extracting an apology from the school principal.

The minister of state for primary, secondary and adult education Praful Pansheriya was quick to wade into the controversy. ”It seems  that  some people want to disturb the peaceful atmosphere of the state by organizing such programmes in schools. This is not at all acceptable”, the minister was quoted as saying while ordering an investigation which will “find out the mentality and intention behind organizing such a programme and then take appropriate action”. The inquiry commenced the next day.

Ironically, it was a clip of the programme on the Facebook page of the school(subsequently removed) which was the first point of information for the protesters.  Principal Nirali Dagli went on record to state “ we  wholeheartedly celebrate all Indian festivals including Ganeshotsav, Navratri, Eid, Christmas, Paryushan, Navroz, Guru Purab. One of our students depicted how Namaz is performed while three students stood by the depiction. Additionally, no student was forced to perform Namaz , the students who participated had taken consent from their parents’, she told mediapersons. Civil society organisations have demanded an FIR against the forced violence including assault on a hapless school staff. Nothing has been heard on this count so far.

The crowning irony is that within days of this  show of hostility for a  gesture of communal amity, the BJP- led Gujarat government  issued a circular that sought large scale participation by minorities, among others, in the Amrut kalash Yatras to be taken out statewide.

A  circular issued by the Panchayat Rural Housing, and Rural Development Department  and sent right down to the village level for compliance, has enunciated the modalities  on how to celebrate 'Amrut Kalash Yatra', in which it has categorically instructed that members of the minority community have to be persuaded to participate in the said yatra on October 12th, across the state. The state has called this event an exercise for nation-building and part of the Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav programme.

 On October 4,the Gujarat High Court  framed charges against four policemen including an Inspector and a sub-inspector ,for contempt of court for their role in the public flogging of some members of a minority community arrested in  Kheda district in October 2022. Stones had allegedly been hurled at a garba dance event at a village in Kheda district. Subsequently a video-grab emerged of policemen publicly flogging three of the 13 arrested for it. The High Court ordered an inquiry by the Chief Judicial Magistrate on a plea by the arrested that the act of tying them to a pole and publicly flogging them amounted to violations of the guidelines of the Supreme court and therefore constituted contempt of its order. A near similar case of cop-inflicted high-handedness in Junagadh is  also awaiting judicial evaluation.

Interestingly soon after a video of the flogging incident figured on social media Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi had appreciated and praised the state police for their action. ”The Gujarat police has done a nice job and the people should express their gratitude towards it on social media”, he was  quoted as saying in media reports.  With a division bench of the Gujarat High Court terming it an” an illegal and humiliating act”  which is in contempt of a Supreme Court order and thus a fit case for framing of charges, where does the minister and his statement stand, in hindsight?

While education minister  Praful Pansheriya is well within his rights to order an inquiry into the Ahmedabad schools ‘namaz’ incident, to pre-judge it before doing so is an act fraught with   manifold consequences.

Ministers are sworn -in after  taking an oath of allegiance to the Constitution of India which declares it to be a sovereign, socialist, secular and democratic republic. Tripping on it carries both political and judicial costs, if not sooner than later.

This syndicated news column was published in the respective newspapers edition dated  October 10,2023  whose links are given below:-

http://epaper.lokmat.com/lokmattimes/main-editions/Nagpur%20Main/2023-10-10/6

http://odishapostepaper.com/edition/4670/orissapost/page/9

 

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